Dr David Wright


Biography

David Wright's research interests lies in the overlapping fields of cognition, embodiment, performance, creativity, learning and systems thinking. He approaches this work through the lens of Social Ecology, which looks at the relationships that facilitate understanding. Central here is the creative communication of learning. David teaches in the overlapping fields of Social Ecology, Transformative Learning, Creativity and Sustainability. He has published nationally and internationally on cognition, learning, drama, embodiment, constructivism and creativity. He has written plays for performance as well as creative fiction. He is currently co-ordinator of Social Ecology at UWS as well as co-ordinator of Research Higher Degree students in the School of Education.

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Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise

Applied Theatre, Social Ecology, Drama Education, Creativity

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Grants / Current Projects

IRIS (International Research Initiatives Scheme: UWS Internal grant:) 'Music of the Spirit: Investigation into Asian-Pacific Musical Identity within the Western Art-Music tradition' at 2008 Aurora Festival. Associate to Investigators: Dr Bruce Crossman (Delegated Chief Investigator), Professor Michael Atherton (Co-Investigator) and Professor Chinary Ung (Visiting Fellow, University of California, San Diego)

SELL (School internal grant). 'Creativity in teacher training'. Awarded to David Wright, Mary Mooney, Catherine Camden-Pratt, Neil Davidson (2003). Aims: To research the effectiveness of intensive tuition in creative practice and creative analysis in teacher training.

SELL (School internal grant). 'Researching Experiential Learning: Social Ecology in action', awarded to David Wright, Kevin Watson, Stuart Hill, John Cameron (2003). Aims: To ascertain the effectiveness of the Social Ecology Residential as a teaching method.

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Publications

Chapters in edited collections

Wright, D. (Forthcoming) Imaginative Education: Nurturing our Social Ecology, In Fitzgerald, R., Fettes, M. & Nielsen, T. (eds) (2009) Imaginative theory, imaginative practice. Peter Lang Publishers

Wright, D. Cross-cultural consciousness: Peking Opera and Australian theatre traditions. In Atherton, M. & Crossman, B. (eds) (2009) Music of the spirit: Asian-Pacific musical identity. Sydney: Australian Music Centre. ISBN 978-0-9091-6865-0

Wright, D. The mythopoetic body: Learning through creativity. In Leonard, T. & Willis, P. (2008)  Pedagogies of the imagination: mythopoetic curriculum in educational practice. Springer Netherlands. ISBN 978-1-4020-8281-8

Wright, D. Embodied learning and drama education. In Anderson, M. & Hatton, C. (eds) (2004) The state of our art. Sydney, Currency Press/EDA. ISBN 0 86819 745 9

Wright, D. Performance and place. In, Cameron, J. (ed) (2003) Changing places: Re-imagining Australia. Double Bay, NSW. Longueville Books. ISBN 1 920681 06 X

Dimitrov, V. & Wright, D. 'Emotion: A Complexity Perspective' In Dimitrov, V., Kuhn, L. & Levick, D. (eds) (2002) 'Complexity Thinking: A Catalyst for Creativity', School of Social Ecology & Lifelong Learning, University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury. ISBN 1-8634190-1-2

Journal articles (refereed)

(forthcoming) Wright, D. Drama and ecological understanding In Research in Drama Education (RIDE)

(forthcoming) Wright, D., Bennett, D & Blom, D. The Interface between Arts Practice and Research: Attitudes and Perceptions of Australian Artist-academics . In Journal of Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australia (HERDSA )

Bennett, D., Wright, D., & Blom, D. (2009). Australian academics: Performing the Australian research agenda. International Journal of Education & the Arts, 10(17)

Wright, D. (2008) A son’s tears: searching learning in emotion. In Educational Insights Vol. 12. No. 1. 2008 ISSN 1488-3333

Wright, D. (2007) Constructivist inquiry and learning in Drama. In NJ Drama Australia journal. 31.1 ISSN 1445-2294

Wright, D. (2005) Reflecting on the body in Drama Education. In combined journal of International Drama/Theatre and Education Association & Applied Theatre Researcher Vol. 6

Wright D, (2005) Embodying, emotioning, expressing learning. In Reflective Practice 5: 3 ISSN 1462-3943

Wright, D. (2002) Loss Story, In Journal of Loss & Trauma Vol. 7. No.4. Oct. 2002. ISSN 1532-5024

Wright, D. (2002) Dancing Circles and Growing Trees, In PAN (Philosophy, Activism & Nature) No. 2, 2002 ISSN 1443-6124

Wright, D. (2002) Reflections on Writing a Cross-Cultural Theatre Text., In Double Dialogues Issue 2, Winter 2002.

Wright, D. (2001) Divining the Aleph, In The Trumpeter: Journal of Ecosophy. Vol. 17. No. 1. 2001.

Wright, D. (2001) Creative work and the construction of learning. In Reflective Practice. Vol.2.No.3. ISSN 1462-3943

Wright, D. (2001) Creative work and the construction of learning. Reprinted in Kuhn, L. (ed) 2001 Social Ecology and Lifelong Learning: Occasional Papers Vol. 1. School of Social Ecology and Lifelong Learning. UWS, Penrith.

Wright, D (2001) Ecopolitics by design: Walter Burley Griffin's Canberra. In Ecopolitics Vol. 1. No. 2. 2001 ISSN 1445-1840

Wright, D. (2000) 'Formwork': A case study of a research process. In Applied Theatre Researcher Vol. 1. 2000.

Wright, D. (2000) Drama education: a 'self-organising system' in pursuit of learning. In Research in Drama Education. Vol No. 1. 2000. ISSN 1356-9783

Wright, D (1999) The Aleph. In 1999: A Social Ecology journal. Vol. 1. 2000 ISSN 1442-7419

Wright, D. (1998) Embodied Learning: Approaching the experience of the body in drama education. In NJ: (NADIE Journal) Vol. 22. No. 2. 1998.p. 87-95. ISSN 1326-5490

Wright, D. (1998) 'Burn'. In Meanjin. Vol 57. No. 2. 1998. ISSN 0025-6293

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Research Student Projects

David Wright has supervised or co-supervised the following research student projects:

The Knowing Body: Meaning and Method in Yat Malmgren’s Actor Training Method PhD 2009
The Sex Pistols and the London mob. PhD (co-supervisor) 2009
The psychodynamic body: A mythos of psychotherapy PhD (co-supervisor) 2008
As above, so below: Projection and political performance. PhD (second supervisor) 2008
The Question Concerning Commercial Television and the More-than-Human World PhD (co-supervisor) 2008
Creativity and the human condition. PhD 2006
Archetype and the Actor: phenomenology of archetypal experience in actor-training and performance PhD 2006
Technoculture & choice or e-pandemonium: allegorical riches for the obiedient remnants M (Hons) 2003
In Search of an Australian Feminist Spirituality through Performance-Ritual. PhD (co-supervisor) 2002

He is currently supervising or co-supervising projects in the following areas:

* Problematising assessment practices in Drama education (PhD)
* Ecology and Islam (PhD)
* Peak creative performance and experience (PhD)
* A vision for Australian dance theatre (PhD)
* Appreciative pedagogy and the language classroom (MEd.Hons)_
* Duplicity and wholeheartedness: Abuses in the Catholic Church

* Deepening Environmental Practice: A Reflexive Study of Conservation Narratives

* The spiritual exercises: Implications for women in leadership 

 

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